


Sparks

by FanficsbyVe



Category: Dark Souls II
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Reconciliation, Reconciliation Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-03-17
Packaged: 2018-05-27 06:49:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6274102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanficsbyVe/pseuds/FanficsbyVe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes longing is a good thing in fixing a relationship. Modern AU, inspired by Firewatch. One-shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sparks

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn't going to post this little blurb here, but some people close to me asked me to, so here you go. And yes, it's heavily inspired by Firewatch.

What if this was all a terrible idea?

As Shanalotte hikes across the rough trail of the national park, this question keeps nagging her. The hike here from Wapiti Station was really hard on her. Her leg muscles hurt and she has scrapes and bruises all over. Still, she barely notices them as she advances towards a watchtower in the distance. 

Never has she been more relieved to see a structure. It’s a light in a darkness filled with bears, mountain lions and the Gods know what else. Once she gets there, she knows for certain that she’ll be safe. What’s more, there is something else than just safety there that she desperately yearns for. 

She’s here to pay a surprise visit to her husband. This summer, he’s taken a temporary job as a firewatch, which means he’s away from home for several months. His new job means he’s confined to the tower and the only contact they had so far was the occasional phone call. 

Seeing the still troubled state of their relationship, she’d urged him to take it at the time. It seemed like the best decision for both of them. They needed the money after he quit his job as an accountant and perhaps, some time apart would do them good. Yet now, she’s not so certain.

She misses him. More than she thought she would. The bed feels really empty without him. It sucks to have to eat alone, to have no one waiting for her at the end of the day. She misses the talks between them, even the arguments. What’s more, with him gone the doubts and fears started to emerge.

Brendan is out there, far away from here in a watchtower. Even though he’s mostly alone there, as firewatches are supposed to stay at their posts, he must have colleagues. What if he finds someone else? Someone prettier and better than her? Someone who didn’t cause a relationship to go sour with clinical depression? What if this time away reminds them that there are indeed other fish in the sea and he decides their marriage is no longer salvageable?

That isn’t the only awful thought she has. Why was he so at ease with leaving her alone? With him being absent for so long, it would be rather easy for her to meet other people as well. Her frantic mind sometimes wonders if that is what he wants. For her to have an affair, so he finally has an excuse to divorce her and not be at fault himself. That thought scares her, more than she dares to admit.

As such, she is ever more convinced that her current decision is a mistake. Here she is, having bought a plane ticket to the middle of nowhere just to see him. She even brought some of his favorite food, almost as a peace offering in case he isn’t glad to see her. He probably isn’t. Who wants to see their problematic wife when they suddenly have all the freedom in the world?

The voice of doubt inside her tells her not to bother. To turn back and go home, hell, maybe to prepare for the sight of the divorce papers she will probably see once he gets back. Yet somehow, her feet keep walking and her uncertain destination gets ever closer. 

After what seems like an eternity, she has reached the watchtower. She takes a deep breath and doesn’t look down as she climbs up the ladder. Her sore muscles make it quite the challenge and every now and then, she slips on the metal spokes. It takes her all her strength to keep climbing, yet her fear of heights keeps her from giving up and going back down.

It ends up taking way longer than she likes, but she makes it up safely. She leans against the railing for a while, trying to catch her breath and shake the dizziness from her eyes. After a brief pause, she pulls herself onto her feet. She once again pauses for a moment to commit to what she’s doing and looks through the window.

The living quarters of the tower are bright and cosy and it isn’t long before she spots Bren. He’s on his laptop, seemingly playing one of the video games he brought on this trip. It doesn’t surprise her. Being a firewatch doesn’t seem like the most exciting job half the time. He looks peaceful and content and once again, she wonders if she should head back home instead of disturbing him.

Still, by some unknown force, she finds herself tapping the glass. Inside, Brendan jerks and whips around to investigate the noise. His jaw drops when he sees her and after remaining frozen for a second, he leaps up and opens the door. He rushes outside, pacing up to her and facing her in utter surprise.

“Shan?”

Shanalotte notes how she can’t tell anything from his tone. Is he happy to see her? Angry? Annoyed? Is he just trying to be polite? She honestly can’t tell and she’s so nervous it takes her several moments to realize she’s socially obligated to present a response.

“H-hi, Bren…”

She wants to say more, but has no idea what. Nothing seems like a good idea right now. She can’t think of a single thing that won’t make her seem like the needy and controlling woman he no doubt sees her as. Again, she knows for certain that she made a giant error in coming here. 

“H-how did you get here?”

Is that a rhetorical question? She can’t tell. It probably is. By now, her mind spins even further out of control and before she thoroughly realizes it, she starts babbling.

“I…I flew over here to see you. As…a surprise… I…I brought some food too... Lamb, your favorite. And some Green-Tea KitKats… I…I figured you don’t have those here…”

As she hears herself talking, she wishes she would just melt into a puddle. She sounds so desperate…so pathetic… She can’t blame her husband if he isn’t happy to see her. Again, this was all a huge mistake.

Suddenly, however, there is a pair of arms around her. She’s lifted off the ground and finds herself in the middle of a rather eager kiss. Still too baffled to say anything, she stares up at him, only to see him smile genuinely. 

“I missed you so much...”

Those three words halt whatever panicked thoughts were haunting her just minutes earlier. It finally allows her to think clearly, to hear what he really says. And what he says isn’t the horrible things her negative mind claims he would say.

He doesn’t seem annoyed with her at all. Far from it. He sounds happy, excited, even relieved… In fact, as he picks her up and carries her inside, she realized that the separation might have been as hard on him as it is on her. 

Before she thoroughly realizes it, the both of them are on the bed. He has set the bag with her luggage and the food aside, the latter clearly not being his first priority. Clothes are tossed everywhere in a mad dash for some long-missed intimacy. At no point does she even think to protest. This is a lot more than she expected of him and she certainly isn’t going to question it.

Even after all that happened between her, he isn’t fed up with her at all. He still misses her, still wants her. To the point he’s currently willing to drop everything just so they can share some intimacy after a month or so apart.

For a second, the crackling of the walkie-talkie threatens to ruin the mood. A female voice, her husband’s superior most likely, demands him to call in. She complains about being lonely, about being sorry about “flirting with him and making him angry” and then asking what the hell those strange noises are. In a brief moment, it almost pulls Shanalotte out of her happy daze. 

That is, until Brendan reaches over and casually throws the thing out of earshot. It bounces off the nearest wall, startling the voice on the other side that is still trying to talk. Shanalotte doesn’t know why, but somehow, she can tell her husband takes great satisfaction out of the deed.

She gives him a stunned look, only to return the grin he gives her. She doesn’t at all mind when he pulls her on top of him, ready to show her just how much he missed her. She chuckles. Looks like the food wasn’t necessary at all. They both have a different kind of appetite to sate and they sure as hell didn’t plan to do that with anyone but each other. 

For the first time in a long period, Shanalotte feels utterly content. Looks like divorce isn’t anywhere on the table yet. If they could be apart in their situation and still terribly miss each other, then things can still be worked out. 

That is a comforting thought and with that, she decides not to worry anymore and enjoy this surprise visit, knowing the wait will be so much easier knowing that he indeed wants to come home. But for now, there’s just them, two bodies pressed together amidst passion and warmth, enjoying a moment of companionship in the middle of a lonely forest. There might now be any forest fires right now, but tonight, there will definitely be sparks.


End file.
